


All Quiet on the Hellmouth

by dbw



Series: The Emerald Tablet [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-25
Updated: 2009-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-03 17:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dbw/pseuds/dbw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vampire and demon activity on the Hellmouth has slowed to near non-existence just before Spring Break. Is this the calm before the storm?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted October 1999
> 
> Set in the spring of Season 4 of BtVS, this story incorporates some aspects of the actual events in Season 4 if they are appropriate. Serious divergence from the series after the episode _Wild at Heart:_
> 
> 1\. Xander has enrolled in community college for the spring semester
> 
> 2\. Giles has finally given up his "gentleman of leisure" status to be a part-time lecturer in Anthropology at UCS teaching 2 sections of "Witchcraft, Magic, and the Occult in Ancient Civilizations"
> 
> 3\. _Harsh Light of Day_ didn't happen
> 
> 4\. Oblique reference to _Wild at Heart._ Serious divergence starting after _Wild at Heart_, thus no Buffy/Riley dating, no Initiative, no Adam, no Tara, but most of all -- Oz is still part of the group.
> 
> 5\. Spoiler for Angel episode _Hero._

"Willow, I really need your help with this," Buffy said desperately.

Willow's eyes widened in distress. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I can't. I have three projects due in the next two days. They count for half my grade in all three classes. I thought I'd have Spring Break to finish, but all of my instructors made them due early. I think there's a conspiracy, maybe a Hellmouth-y kind of thing." She sounded miserable.

Buffy reached out to her friend's hand and squeezed gently. "That's OK, Will. Really. I'll figure something out." She sighed and looked around the computer lab in frustration. "You shouldn't have to bail me out. I should've paid more attention all the times you've done our research on the net."

"But, I don't mind helping you. Really. It's just the timing, and all my projects, and oh, I hate this." Willow looked at Buffy in concern.

"Willow? Everything all right here?" a soft voice asked from behind them.

Buffy swiveled in her chair and looked up into friendly brown eyes. She blinked. The guy was tall, almost as tall as Giles. He looked to be in his early-thirties or so with brown hair that looked like it could use a trim, dressed in jeans, a polo shirt and sneakers. He had a nice face and an even nicer smile. Buffy found herself smiling back at him.

"Oh. Mr. Callahan. Yeah, everything's OK I guess." Willow sounded miserable.

"Brian, remember? Is there something I can do?" he asked.

Willow frowned and darted a look at Buffy. "Well, my friend needs some help. This is my friend. I mean, Mr. Callahan, er, Brian, this is my friend Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is Brian Callahan. He's one of the Computer Science instructors."

"Hi," Buffy said casually. Who knew that a Computer Science teacher could be good looking?

"Nice to meet you, Buffy. And you need help?" He gestured at the PC.

"Buffy's got a paper to do and needs to get on the net to do some research. I usually help her, but I've got too many projects of my own and don't have time." Willow said it all in a rush.

"Um, Will, I don't think you need to bother--"

"Nonsense. That's one of the things I'm here for," he said and then shook his head with a laugh. "Not to bother, but to help. So, you need help on the net?"

"Yeah. It's not that I'm a total incompetent with one of these, but somehow if I'm left on my own too long I manage to inflict serious damage." She smiled wryly.

"Do you know someone we could ask to help Buffy with her research? Maybe one of the lab assistants?" Willow asked anxiously.

Brian Callahan looked around the nearly empty lab and shook his head. "I don't see anyone here that I'd trust." He looked at the two of them. "You need to do this now, don't you?"

Buffy nodded. "I know I waited till the last minute, but, well, other things kept coming up."

He nodded absently. "OK, tell you what. I have to be here tonight anyway. Why don't I help you? How would that be?"

Willow beamed. "That would be great! Thanks!"

Buffy looked at him doubtfully. "I really shouldn't impose. Are you sure you don't mind?"

He smiled. "Not at all. I've got some free time. If you don't mind I'd rather use my own laptop instead of a lab system." He gestured to the laptop sitting on the desk near the door to the lab.

"Fine with me. I really appreciate this." Buffy smiled and stood up. "You'll be OK here by yourself Will?"

"Sure," Willow said in relief as she turned back to the PC she was working on.

"I'll see you in a bit then." Buffy followed Brian to the desk and pulled up a chair next to his. She watched as he attached a phone line to his laptop and connected to the net.

"We'll connect to my ISP and surf from there. It's a faster connection than you'd get through the school lines." He glanced at her and looked amused at her blank expression. "You really don't know much about computers, do you?"

Buffy sighed. "Nope. Willow and Oz are the computer geniuses. I send a little email now and then, but that's about it. I mean, I can do basic stuff, but I'm a little weak on the actual ferreting of information from the web part. Right now I just need to get some information and write a paper. Other than that, well I guess I just don't have the time." She blushed and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Callahan. I guess that was rude, huh? You being a CS instructor and all."

He chuckled. "Actually, I thought it was pretty honest. Most people should and do consider the computer a tool, not something to be worshipped. And call me Brian. It's what I tell the students in my classes to call me. I can't quite seem to get Willow to remember that."

Buffy smiled. "OK. Brian. And thanks again for taking the time to help me with this."

"No problem."

They spent the next couple of hours tracking down the information she needed for her paper and talking. Buffy found herself enjoying the time she spent with him. He was interesting and funny and she was almost sorry that there wasn't much more that she needed since that would mean their impromptu session would be over soon. Just as she was about to tell him the last bit she needed to find, her pager went off.

She checked the number and wasn't surprised to see Giles' office number with a 911 after it. "Is there a phone I can use? It's an internal campus call." She looked at Brian soberly.

He nodded and pointed to a phone on a table on the other side of the doorway.

"Thanks." She picked up the phone and dialed Giles' extension. "Hi. It's me. What's the what? No, I'm in the computer lab. No, I haven't seen Xander. Yeah, she's here too. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Do you think he's going to rise? Great, just great. Uh-huh. Look, it is not to worry, OK? I'll take care of it. Yes, I'll be careful. Yes, I'll check in when I'm done. OK. OK. Bye." She turned around to see Brian Callahan watching her. She smiled at him.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

She let out a breath and said, "Something came up. I really appreciate all the time you've taken to help me, um, Brian. I wish I could stay to finish this, but I think I have plenty to get me started. I'm afraid I have to go. Thanks for everything."

He smiled lazily at her. "You're very welcome Buffy." He stood and waited by the door while she talked to Willow.

She could feel his eyes on her while she told Willow about her conversation with Giles. She tried to keep her voice down, but she could tell that Willow's reaction was causing him to watch them sharply.

"Will, I gotta book. Giles just paged me. Some new vamp from a minor prophecy is about to rise and I have to get out to the Shady Rest cemetery to stop it. I want you to make sure you stay here until I come back. I'll make sure you get back to the dorm, OK?" She looked at her friend anxiously.

"Is there something I can do to help? I could back you up or something." Willow's eyes were huge and she looked anxiously at Buffy.

"No. Not this time." Buffy smiled reassuringly. "It's just one rising, but it could be an important one. I need to stake this guy before he has a chance to get too strong. So, just stay here, OK? You can make sure Brian's safe." She tilted her head back towards the door.

"Brian? Oh, Mr. Callahan." Willow frowned slightly. "I keep forgetting he wants us to call him Brian."

Buffy chuckled. "That's just what he said."

"So, you'll be back soon?"

"Soonest. Don't worry. I'll leave my books here with you, 'kay?"

"Sure."

Buffy nodded and turned to go. She stopped at the desk to pick up her backpack of supplies.

"Buffy?"

She turned to Brian, impatient now to be on her way. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to get together another time? Maybe for a cup of coffee?" He looked at her hopefully.

Is he asking me for a date, she wondered? She blinked and said, "Um, sure. That would be nice."

He smiled. "Great. How about tomorrow afternoon about 2pm? I could meet you at Java And More here on campus. They have an espresso machine."

"Tomorrow at 2pm? Sounds good." She shifted the backpack in her hands. "I'm sorry, but I've really got to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled. As soon as she was out of the lab she took off running. It would be touch and go whether she'd manage to get to the cemetery before the vamp rose.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

Buffy dusted off her hands and kicked at the fresh grave with her toe. She'd made it just in time to see the vamp crawling out. He'd pulled his way out of the grave only to find the Slayer standing over him with a stake in her hand and a sneer on her lips. She'd made short work of him and was ready to head back to the University.

She trotted all the way back and stopped to catch her breath before entering the computer lab. She peeked her head around the door and was relieved to see only Willow remaining in the lab.

"Hey, Will! Ready to go to your dorm?" She smiled at her friend.

Willow turned and smiled back. "Buffy! Done already? Great." She stacked her books in her backpack. "Yeah. I've had it for tonight. I can finish reading in my room. I'll need to lock up. Mr., er, Brian let me stay after hours if I promised to lock the lab."

"It isn't usually open at this time?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Nope. Should have closed a half-hour ago." Willow handed Buffy the books she had left behind. "I'm ready. You're staying at your mom's house while she's out of town, right?"

Buffy nodded. They walked across the campus to the dorms, keeping to the brightly-lit walkways. Only a few other students were out as well.

"So, what did you think of Brian?" Willow asked with a sidelong glance at Buffy.

"He seems nice." She hesitated. "He asked me to have coffee with him tomorrow afternoon."

"He did?" Willow grinned. "Wow. A date with an instructor."

"Willow," Buffy cautioned. "I don't know that I'd call it a date. I think he just enjoyed our conversation. I know I did. He probably just wants to talk some more."

"It's still a date," Willow insisted. "It's a date with coffee. I've heard some of the girls talk in the lab. They all think he's cool. I haven't had a class with him, so I don't know what he's like as a teacher. But he's good looking, isn't he?"

"Yeah. He's definitely lunchable. And he's got wow potential." Buffy smiled at her friend. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea, though."

"Why not?"

"Can you imagine what Giles will say? And then there'll be the Look." She shook her head.

"Don't tell him," Willow said practically. "I mean, if Brian just wants to be friends there's no reason for Giles to know right away, right? And if it's really a date, well, why not see how this one goes before you say anything? Besides, I thought Giles wasn't objecting to your dating. I mean, you went out a lot last semester and he didn't say anything."

"I don't know," Buffy said uneasily. "This seems different somehow. I just don't like keeping things from Giles. The other times I've done that things haven't gone very well. And I promised I wouldn't lie to him."

"This isn't lying to him. It's avoiding an unnecessary confrontation." Buffy could tell that Willow was pleased with her interpretation.

"Maybe. I don't know. I'll decide when I see what kind of mood Giles is in. Here's your dorm. I'll see you tomorrow."

"OK. And don't worry. It'll all work out." Willow waved as she entered the dorm.

Yeah. It'll all work out. Sure. She'd just keep telling herself that. So why did she get a queasy feeling when she considered not telling Giles? She thought about it all the way to the Anthropology building. His office was on the third floor. She walked down the dark hallway and smiled to herself when she saw that the only light around was coming from under his door. She knocked softly and opened the door to find him asleep at his desk with his head on his arms.

She stood in front of the desk and watched him sleep. She rarely experienced moments like this where she could study him without him being aware of it. He looked younger and more vulnerable when he was asleep. She frowned slightly, shook her head at herself and reached over to gently shake his shoulder.

"Giles," she said softly, "wake up. Come on Watcher, time to go home."

"Hmph," he mumbled and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and blinked at her. "Buffy. Did everything go all right?"

"Piece of cake. But I think it's time we got you home to bed." She sighed. "And then I've still got a paper to write."

They walked out to his ancient Citroen, talking softly about that night's kill. Giles was pleased that she had managed to stake the vampire so quickly. His research had come together at the last minute to indicate this rising could be important. They discussed the paper she had to write as well. He surprised her by driving directly to his apartment.

"Um, Giles? You probably should have taken me home first." She smiled at him.

"I thought that perhaps I could help you with your paper. It sounds as though you've done the preliminary research, but I'd be happy to help you with the organization. And with any rough spots you have while you write it. If you wish? Then I'll drive you back to your mother's house."

She turned to look at him in the dark car. "That's really nice of you. And I'm just desperate enough to take you up on it. Thanks."

He smiled. "You're quite welcome."

A few hours later Buffy wrote the final word of her paper and flexed her hand to ease the cramping. Once they had the organization settled it had amazed her how easily the words flowed. She stacked the papers neatly and stood up to yawn and stretch. She turned from the desk and smiled at the sight of Giles stretched out on the couch. He'd fallen asleep again while reading. His book was open on his chest and his glasses were slightly askew.

Buffy yawned again and turned out the light on the desk. She sleepily contemplated the floor next to the couch for a moment and then shrugged. She reached out and removed the book from his chest and gently took off his glasses. She removed her shoes, clicked off his reading light and stretched out on the couch next to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Giles woke up feeling disoriented. He was on his side on the couch with his free arm around Buffy, holding her close against his chest. The last thing he remembered was reading while Buffy worked on her paper. How had they ended up on the couch together?

He knew from previous experience sleeping on his couch that if he didn't get up they'd both be stiff and sore in the morning. Carefully he eased himself off the couch without waking her. He bent down and gently scooped her up until he held her cradled against his chest and then carried her upstairs to his bedroom.

He placed her on the bed and waited to make sure she wasn't about to wake up before he made his way back downstairs to the couch. He kicked off his shoes. Might as well be comfortable, he thought. He removed his braces, unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and stretched out on the couch again.

Giles woke slowly as the early morning sun brightened the room. He was lying on his back on the couch with an afghan covering him. He didn't remember getting the afghan out last night when he came back downstairs. A slight noise came from the direction of the kitchen and he realized Buffy must have placed it on him. He smiled slightly and got up to wander out into the kitchen.

"Oh good, you're awake," Buffy said cheerfully. "Here, have some tea."

He accepted the tea and sat down at the counter, watching her bemusedly. She poured herself a cup of coffee. Toast popped up out of the toaster and she lightly buttered it and placed it on a plate in front of him.

"Sorry I don't have time to make a better breakfast, but I need to leave pretty soon to go home to change before I head to class." She put more bread in the toaster. "I really wanted to thank you for your help last night."

"Paper finished?'' he asked.

"Yeah. And I think it went pretty well, thanks to your suggestions." She smiled brightly.

He regarded her calmly for a moment. "Buffy, is there something wrong?"

Buffy blinked and said, "Wrong? What could be wrong?" She turned away to pour more coffee and said. "Oh, by the way, are we still training this afternoon?"

He frowned and said, "Yes. I've reserved the small room off the main gym for 2pm."

She glanced over her shoulder at him nervously. "Um, could we change that to 3pm?"

He raised his eyebrows. "And why might that be?"

Buffy took a deep breath and said, "OK, look, I sort of told this guy that I'd meet him for coffee at Java And More at two."

"This 'guy'? Someone I know?" he asked casually.

She fidgeted with her coffee cup. "I don't know. His name's Brian Callahan. He helped me last night with the research for my paper since Willow was busy. We kind of got to talking and he invited me."

"Brian Callahan?" Giles frowned. "From the Computer Science department?"

Buffy looked up at him in surprise. "You know him?"

Giles shook his head. "Not exactly. I know one or two people in the department. I've heard his name mentioned. Isn't he an instructor?"

"Yeah. But look, it's different in college. I mean, I'm 19, and it's not like I'm taking any classes from him or even likely to take any of his classes. And it's not like it's a date or anything. He just wanted to get together for coffee and talk." She had trouble meeting his eyes.

"Buffy," he said and hesitated. What was he going to say to her? He wasn't sure he liked this idea, but she was right. She was an adult and in college. "I'll see if I can reschedule the room for three. I'll page you if I'm not able to change it."

She set down her mug and looked at him in relief. "Thanks! I'll see you at three then. I better take off or I'm going to end up late to class." She left the kitchen to gather her things.

He finished his tea, smiling when he heard her call out her goodbye as she left. Brian Callahan, he mused. Maybe he'd just drop by the CS department and see what his acquaintances knew about the man. Doesn't hurt to check up on these things, he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy opened the door to the Java And More at a quarter past two. A discussion with the instructor of her last class had made her late and she was afraid that Brian might have given up on her already. She looked around past the tables full of studying and talking students and finally located him toward the middle of the room. He was at a table by himself, but he was talking to a couple of female students who were standing next to his chair.

Buffy made her way through the crowded room and was rewarded with a warm smile when he saw her coming. She smiled back at him. He said something to the students and they nodded and moved on. Buffy dropped her backpack onto one of the free chairs by his table.

"Sorry I'm late. Got caught up in a discussion in my last class." She sat down in a chair opposite him.

"Not a problem. Would you like something?"

"Sure. I'd love a cappuccino." She smiled as he stood up and made his was to the coffee bar.

Buffy looked around curiously. She'd never been in the Java And More before. The room was divided into two levels, with steps between them. There were round wood tables scattered around, surrounded by wooden captain's chairs. Wood railing separated the table area from the coffee bar and food service. Java And More was one of only two restaurants on campus that were allowed to serve beer and wine. Elsewhere on campus alcohol was illegal, though Buffy had heard that some of the kids brought liquor back to their dorm rooms. Sort of risky, since being caught with alcohol in the dorms rated an automatic suspension.

Brian returned to the table with a small tray and two cappuccinos. She smiled and took a sip of the hot brew.

"Ahh. I think I needed that. Thanks!"

"Don't mention it." He smiled at her. "Thank you for agreeing to see me."

"So, how long have you been a teacher?" she asked. She hoped he wouldn't take it as a not-so-subtle way of finding out how old he was.

"This spring is my sixth semester. Um, three years. Not quite enough to qualify for a tenured position." He sipped his coffee. "I worked in the industry for a few years before I decided the rat race wasn't for me."

"Industry?" she asked, puzzled.

He smiled slightly. "Silicon Valley. I got my masters degree and went to work for a high tech startup. It was interesting, but the pace was a killer. I realized it wasn't right for me when I found myself spending 70 hours a week on the job and thinking I wasn't putting in enough time. I figured if I stayed that I'd be dead of a heart attack within five years."

She looked at him curiously. "What made you decide to go into teaching?"

He considered for a moment. "I'd always enjoyed my time in school, even when it was difficult. I'd been a teacher's assistant the last year of my masters and kind of liked it. To be honest, the startup I worked for did quite well when it went public, so I don't really have to worry about making a lot of money. I thought, what the hell? If I hate it or get bored I can go back to the Valley. They're always chronically short of talent." He shrugged. "Besides, one of the things that always bothered me about most of my professors was that they'd never had any practical experience. Most of them were great with theory, but deficient in what the real world was like. I thought I could maybe bring some of that experience to my students."

"Sounds as though you really like it," she said.

"Yeah. I do." He smiled. "What about you? What brings you to UC Sunnydale?"

She shrugged. "Nothing exciting. My mom and I moved to Sunnydale when I was a sophomore in high school. UCS is a good school and it's close to home, making it more affordable than out of town schools. My friends are here." _Not to mention vampires, demons, and other nasty-in-the-night things._

He looked at her for a moment as if he thought there would be something more. "Fair enough. What're you majoring in?"

She looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. "Don't know yet. This is only my second semester. I'm still undeclared. Guess I'll figure that out after I've taken some more classes."

He chuckled. "That's pretty much what I did. I flirted with computer science, but I didn't finally decide until my junior year. Of course, that meant I needed an extra year to get all of the classes for my major, but hey, I did say I liked school."

She smiled in relief. "Are you from this area?"

"Nope. I'm from Nevada originally. I went to college back east, then moved to San Jose. When I decided to try teaching Sunnydale happened to have an opening for an instructor and they were willing to hire me. So here I am."

They talked about various things. Buffy found herself smiling and laughing frequently. Brian had a gentle sense of humor that she enjoyed. He seemed to be able to poke fun at himself without sounding sarcastic or bitter. She glanced down at her watch and realized with a shock that it was almost three.

"I hate to say this, but I have to go. I've got a...a thing at three," she said. "Thanks for the cappuccino and the talk. I really enjoyed it."

"So did I." He stood up with her. "I'll walk you out. I should get back to my office anyway."

"Oh. Thanks." Buffy picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

When they reached the door Brian held it open for her. She smiled up at him and said, "Well, thanks again." She started to walk in the direction of the gym.

"Buffy," he said.

"Yes?" She turned back.

He cleared his throat and said, "Would you like to have dinner with me on Friday? I promise to make it someplace nice, which you should translate into someplace off campus." He smiled hopefully.

"Friday?" Oh god, she thought, he's asking me out on a real date. "That would be nice."

"Great. How does eight-thirty sound?"

"Sounds good." She reached into her backpack, found a pad of sticky notes and scribbled on it. "I really have to run right now. Here's my number. Give me a call and I'll tell you how to find me." She smiled.

He grinned at her. "All right. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She nodded and turned to sprint to the gym. If she were lucky she'd make it with time to spare. On the way there she wondered how she was going to tell Giles she had a date Friday night. He was pretty good about such things, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was different. Well, she thought philosophically, he was decent about the coffee thing. Maybe he won't wig about a date.


	4. Chapter 4

Giles twisted and levered with his hip, throwing Buffy to the mat. He jumped back so she couldn't hook his legs out from under him and gazed down at her in concern, hands on his hips. That was the third time in a row that he'd managed to get the best of her. She had been distracted through the entire training session, quiet and off balance. Not at all her usual self. He held out a hand to help her to her feet.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

Buffy looked at him in alarm. "About what?"

"About whatever it is that's distracting you enough to let me take you down three times in a row." He crossed his arms and waited for her answer.

"Maybe you're improving?" she asked jokingly.

"Buffy," he warned.

She shook her head and smiled slightly. "OK. Guess I am a bit elsewhere." She fiddled with the ties on her sweatpants and blurted out, "I've got a date on Friday night."

"A date," he said matter-of-factly. Brian Callahan, he wondered? "And this is distracting you?"

She blushed and wouldn't meet his eyes. "It's a dinner date with Brian Callahan." She waited as if she expected him to have something to say.

"And?" he asked softly.

She looked at him in confusion. "Um, well, I won't be all that late. I can patrol afterwards I guess."

"Fine. Now I suggest we cut this session short. I don't want you to over train. I've been concerned about you getting stale." Giles turned away to gather up the weapons and stow them in the large sport bag he had purchased to carry them in now that they no longer had the weapons locker in the library.

Buffy watched him for a moment as if in shock. "Great. Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

He kept his back to her and continued stowing the weapons. "Tomorrow's Thursday. I think we should suspend further training until this weekend. I'll reserve the room for Saturday at 2pm. All right?"

"Oh. OK. I guess." She sounded confused. "I'll see you on Saturday then."

"Yes. Very well. Saturday." He waited until she had left the room before he turned around. He had been afraid he wouldn't be able to hide the sadness he felt if he looked at her.

He sighed and hefted the weapons bag to carry it out to his car. It had taken all of his willpower to not argue with her about the date and he had a suspicion that she had expected just such an argument. But how could he discourage her from doing something so normal? He'd come to understand just how much she needed normalcy in her life. It really couldn't be allowed to matter that it felt as if his heart was being ground into dust. Nor did he really want to think about that or what it might mean. He shook his head ruefully.

As he maneuvered the bag into the back seat he knew there was at least one thing he could do. He could check this Brian Callahan out and make sure there wasn't anything odd about him. And he planned to do just that.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

The next afternoon Giles wandered over to the Computer Science department office to look up the Department Chair. He'd met the man earlier in the semester when Giles started teaching at the University and they'd maintained a cordial acquaintance. The department secretary smiled at him when he approached the office window.

"Mr. Giles," she said, "what a pleasure to see you. You haven't been by in a while."

"Hello Marjorie." Giles smiled at her. "It's been a busy semester. Is Donald in his office?"

She shook her head. "Nope. But he should be here any minute now. Would you like to wait, or shall I tell him you stopped by?"

Giles hesitated. "Actually, perhaps you could help me? I've been thinking about purchasing a computer and wanted some advice. Someone I met recommended that I speak with a Brian Callahan from your department. Said he could probably make a recommendation as to what I should look for in a, um, system?" He raised his eyebrow and smiled sheepishly at her.

She grinned. "Brian would certainly be able to help you. He's quite good. He not only teaches, but during the summer he keeps his hand in by doing consulting work. And he's very popular with his students. Not that that's what you're looking for, it's just that he's quite personable."

Giles nodded. "Sounds like quite the paragon. Is he around?"

"Sorry. He usually isn't on campus on Thursdays. But he's generally in and out of the department most of the day on Fridays, so you could catch him tomorrow if you can wait until then."

"Maybe I'll do that, thank you. My friend also recommended one or two other people. If I don't get hold of one of them I'll certainly look up Mr. Callahan." He gave her a searching look. "So, you wouldn't have any qualms about him?"

She laughed. "Brian's a great guy. He won't recommend anything more than you need. Don't worry. You can trust him."

He smiled in return. "Thank you Marjorie. I trust your opinion."

"Department secretaries always know." She grinned at him. "Drop by again when Donald's in. I know he enjoys your visits."

"I will." He nodded pleasantly and walked away down the hall and around the corner to the elevators. At least this Callahan was well thought of in his department. That was something positive at any rate. Perhaps he'd wait and see how the date went before he did any more prying. He wouldn't want Buffy to think he was interfering where he had no right. He sighed to himself. He rather wished he hadn't cancelled their training since that meant he wouldn't see Buffy until Saturday.


	5. Chapter 5

"I had a really nice time Brian," Buffy smiled. She opened the car door and let herself out.

He walked her up to her door. "So did I."

They stood on the porch and smiled at each other. Buffy wondered if he expected her to invite him in. Even if she didn't need to go out patrolling, she wasn't sure she was ready for that yet.

"Thanks again for dinner," she said gently.

"You're welcome." He tilted his head and smiled slightly. "Would you like to have lunch with me on Tuesday?"

She grinned. "Lunch would be nice."

"Great." He reached out and lightly touched her cheek, then turned to walk down the steps. He called back over his shoulder. "I'll see you on Tuesday."

She lifted her hand to wave once and turned to go into the quiet house. She was house-sitting since her mother was out of town for the weekend. She locked the door behind her and went upstairs to her bedroom. Quickly she removed the dress she'd worn to dinner and put on sweats and a T-shirt. Time to go slay some baddies, she thought as she packed her backpack with stakes and holy water. She let herself out her bedroom window and carefully made her way down to the ground. She could have used the front door, but she liked to keep in practice.

She spent the next hour and a half patrolling the parks and cemeteries and failed to come across a single vampire to slay. Finally she gave up in frustration and made her way back home. By 1:30am she was in bed and fast asleep.

A half-hour later she woke up screaming, her tank top drenched in sweat. She drew shuddering breaths as she tried to sort out what was real and what was part of the dream. She drew her knees up to her chest and circled them with her arms. Tears began to flow as the dream replayed itself in her mind.

The Mayor. Graduation. She thought she'd finished with that nightmare months ago. Why was it back? The devastation replayed itself in front of her closed eyes. But in this version more people died. Many of them were people she barely knew, but they died because she failed. And this time there was a different twist than she'd dreamt before. She'd managed to get the Demon to follow her to the library, but when she jumped through the window its head had followed, breaking through the outer wall. Before she could react the Demon had grabbed Giles with its mouth. His screams echoed over and over as the Demon's massive jaws crushed him. She had awoken screaming at the moment in the dream when she had pushed the plunger to detonate the bomb.

She couldn't stop crying and shaking. Panic had set in and it wasn't letting go its grip on her. Why was it getting to her like this? It wasn't true. It hadn't happened like that. The more she thought about it the more freaked she became. She couldn't stay in her room any longer. She jumped up and grabbed her thin robe; not noticing it barely covered the silk tank and boxer shorts she'd worn to bed. She shoved her feet into an old pair of sneakers and climbed out the window.

She couldn't remember how she got there but the next thing she knew she was standing in front of Giles' door. She brushed at the tears that were still falling and knocked, shifting from foot to foot as she waited what felt like an eternity for the door to open.

"Buffy!" His hair was mussed and his robe half-tied. He'd obviously been sound asleep. "It's 2:30 in the morning." He took a closer look at her, pulled her through the doorway and into the living room where he sat her down on the couch.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" He asked in concern.

"I...I'm sorry I woke you." She looked down at her hands and clasped them together to try to stop their shaking. "I couldn't stay in the house."

He knelt beside her and took her hands in his. He asked again gently, "What's wrong?"

She glanced at him and quickly looked away. "It's silly. Really." she sighed. "I had a nightmare." She wasn't looking at him so she missed the flash of relief that crossed his face.

"It must have been quite a nightmare," he said.

"It was about the Mayor."

He got up from the floor and sat down on the couch next to her. His arm went around her shoulders and he pulled her against him comfortingly. "I thought those nightmares had stopped."

She sighed. "So did I. This one was different." She relaxed against him as the panic ebbed. She felt safe for the first time since she'd woken screaming.

He stroked her hair soothingly. "Different how?" His voice was gentle.

Haltingly she told him about the nightmare. She started shaking again when she reached the end where the Mayor had eaten him and she had depressed the plunger.

He soothed her until she calmed down again. "It was just a nightmare, Buffy. You know that. I'm here and we defeated the Mayor's ascension."

In a small voice she said, "I'm sorry I'm being silly."

"Nonsense. You're not being silly. You've experienced some fairly gruesome things. Things no teenage girl should ever have to even imagine. I wish I could wave my hands and make it all go away, but I can't. You know I'm always here for you, whenever you need me." He continued to stroke her hair gently. "Would you like to stay here for the rest of the night?"

"Would you mind?" she asked timidly.

He shook his head. "Of course not." He stood up and gave her his hand to pull her up with him. "Let's just make you comfortable upstairs. Come along." He walked with her up to his bedroom and put her into his bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. He stopped at the door to turn off the light on his way out.

"Thanks, Giles," she said sleepily.

"You're welcome. Now get some sleep. I'll be right downstairs if you need me." He smiled and left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Giles made himself as comfortable as was possible on his lumpy couch. He lay in the dark and thought about Buffy. Why had the nightmares returned, he wondered? And why like this? He frowned to himself as he thought about the picture she had made standing on his doorstep in her nightclothes. She must have been terrified or she'd never have left the house dressed as she was. His heart had almost stopped when he opened the door and saw her. He was thankful that he'd managed not to ask the first thing that had popped into his head, namely what had Brian Callahan tried? Oh yes, he thought, that would have been embarrassing. He yawned and closed his eyes, falling asleep minutes later.

Her screaming woke him. He raced up the stairs to find her sitting up in bed clutching the covers and screaming. Her eyes were open but unfocused. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

"Buffy! Wake up. It's just a dream." He shook a little harder and was relieved when sanity crept into her eyes and the screaming stopped.

Her breathing was ragged and the sobs started almost immediately. He pulled her close and gently ran his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her. The sobs turned into hiccups as she settled against him.

"It's all right. Just a dream, luv. Shhh." He repeated the words over and over in a soothing monotone as he gently rocked her.

Finally her breathing slowed and the shakes came less frequently. When she yawned against his chest he risked laying her back down on the pillow. Her eyes were half closed and she yawned again. He smiled at her, pulled the covers up and waited until her eyelids drooped closed. Satisfied that she was again asleep he carefully stood up and quietly made his way back to the living room.

He stood in the middle of the room and massaged the back of his neck. Sighing, he opened the liquor cabinet and poured himself a short scotch, neat. He sat on the couch and stared moodily into the golden liquid. He'd dealt with her nightmares before, but the note of terror in her screams this time was more pronounced than he'd ever heard. Why, he wondered again? And why now?

At least they weren't prophetic since they dealt with what had happened in the past, albeit a skewed version of the event. He sat back and sipped his drink, his thoughts going round and round. None of his questions had answers. He drained the last of the scotch and once again settled himself on the couch.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

Giles woke to the sound of movement in the kitchen. Groggily he rubbed his eyes and sat up. He walked into the kitchen and smiled to himself as he watched Buffy carefully add boiling water to the teapot. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Morning," she said brightly.

"Good morning to you," he replied. "How are you?"

She hesitated slightly before answering. "Fine." She glanced away from him. "Thanks for being there for me last night. I...I'm not actually sure how I made it over here. One minute I was standing in the middle of my room and the next thing I knew I was standing in front of your door. It kinda scared me that I didn't remember the in-between." She looked down at her bare feet.

His eyebrows shot up. She'd instinctively come to him in the state she was in, not to Willow and not to Xander. He felt a warmth build in him and said gently, "It's all right Buffy. You know I'll always be here when you need me. You never have to worry about that."

She nodded. "I just thought I was through with these nightmares, you know? Anyway, thanks."

"You're welcome." He accepted a mug of tea from her.

"OK if I take a shower? I feel like I need to clean up."

"Of course. I'm sure I can find something for you to wear."

She followed him upstairs to the bedroom and accepted the clean towels he handed her. He scratched his head as he contemplated the contents of his closet. There really wasn't anything appropriate for her. He shrugged and reached for one of his shirts. At least it would cover her and it would probably be longer than most of the skirts and dresses she customarily wore. The sound of the shower came from the bathroom as he lay the shirt out on the bed.

He waited in the living room for her. When she came down and stood at the foot of the stairs he couldn't take his eyes off her. Her hair was damp and her face was scrubbed clean. The tails of his shirt fell to her knees. She'd rolled the sleeves up so they wouldn't hang down past her fingertips, but she kept pushing them up her arms anyway.

"This look OK?" she asked shyly.

"You look fine," he said softly. Adorable was more like it, he thought. He blinked and realized he was staring. He cleared his throat. "I'll, uh, just go take my shower now, then I'll take you home."

An hour later they pulled up in front of Buffy's house, just behind Oz's van. Buffy bounced out of the car and up to the porch where Oz and Willow were standing.

"Hi guys. What's up?"

"Hey Buffy. Oz and I are going on a picnic and thought you might want to come." Willow smiled at Giles. "You're welcome to join us, too, Giles."

"Sounds like fun," Buffy said. "Let me change and I'll be down in a jif." She unlocked the door and rushed upstairs to her room.

"Thank you for the invitation, Willow. But I believe I'll pass. I'm in the middle of some research and I'd like to finish it. Tell Buffy I'll see her this afternoon?" Giles smiled and turned to leave.

"OK. We'll see you later." Willow called after him.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

Willow and Oz waited on the porch for Buffy to come down. Oz thoughtfully stared down the road in the direction of Giles' departing car. Willow bounced on her toes in anticipation of the picnic.

"I wonder why Buffy was wearing Giles' shirt," Willow said innocently.

Oz smiled his enigmatic Oz smile and said nothing.

"Maybe she was in a big fight and got her clothes all torn or bloody. Oh well, I'm sure she'll tell us." Willow turned to Oz. "Do you think we have enough chips?"

"Yeah. Unless we pick up Xander, then we might need more."

"Maybe we should call Xander and see if he's there. That way we won't have to stop if he's not."

"OK guys, I'm ready." Buffy looked around and said in disappointment, "Where's Giles? Isn't he going with us?"

Oz hid his smile. "Said he had some research to finish and he'd see you later this afternoon."

"Oh." Her face fell. "I was hoping he'd come with. I worry that he doesn't get much of a break, you know?"

"Yeah. Well, what are the two of you doing this afternoon?" Willow asked curiously.

"Training," Buffy said wryly. "Not much of a break there."

"No, guess not." Willow turned to Oz. "Want to call Xander?"

"Sure." Oz looked at Buffy. "OK to use your phone?"

"Be my guest." She smiled.

Willow grinned at Buffy. "Speaking of a break, how was the date last night? Details. I need details!"

Buffy laughed. "It was fun. He took me to The Bistro for dinner. I've never been there before."

"That's a nice place! So, what do you think of Brian?"

"He's nice. I enjoy talking to him." Buffy turned to lean on the porch railing and look out at the front yard.

"Nice? Talking?" Willow frowned. "Nothing more exciting? Come on, give!"

"Well, he is nice and I do enjoy talking to him. We didn't even do that awkward silence thing, you know?" She grinned back at her friend. "I don't know, though. I don't know if there's a spark there."

"Well, how were the smoochies?" Willow asked curiously.

"We didn't actually get to smoochies. The date was pretty much move free."

"But--"

Buffy looked at her friend thoughtfully. "I'm taking things a lot more slowly these days. Besides, I needed to go out patrolling. Lunch date on Tuesday, though."

"Oooh, he didn't even do the `I'll call you' thing? Wow." Willow was excited for her friend. "He really must like you. Don't you think?"

"Willow? Slow down, OK?" Buffy grinned. "I appreciate that you'd like to see me have someone special, you know? But just let me take this at my own speed."

"Sure. Of course. I didn't mean--"

"I know. You're just being my friend." She gave the redhead a quick hug. "Don't stop, OK?"

"'Kay." Willow hugged her back. "So, what happened last night? I mean after the date. You know, what nasty evil stuff did you slay and all? I figure it must have been something big."

"What makes you say that?" Buffy frowned.

"Well, it's just that whatever it was must have ruined your clothes, since you were in Giles' shirt."

Buffy looked at Willow curiously. "I didn't slay anything last night Will."

"What?" Willow felt a little shocked. "But, but, you were wearing Giles' shirt. Why were you wearing Giles' shirt?"

Buffy sighed. "Nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Willow was confused.

"I had one of my nightmares about the Mayor last night and I went over to Giles'. I, um, needed to talk to him. I just didn't think through the fact that I was in my robe and pj's." She shrugged. "It was cool, though. He lent me his shirt."

"Oh." Willow looked at Buffy in concern. "Nightmares about the Mayor? I thought those had stopped."

"Yeah, me too," she said sourly. "I haven't had one in a few months. This one was different, though. I guess I really wigged."

Oz stepped out on the porch. "Xander's home and he's cool with the picnic. Ready?"

"Let's do it."


	7. Chapter 7

"You did very well with your training today Buffy. I believe taking a few days off was a good idea." Giles pushed himself up from the mat. The corners of his mouth turned up as he smiled ruefully. "I think I've taken about all the beating I'm capable of this afternoon."

Buffy looked at him in concern. "Are you all right? Did I put too much in my punches?"

Giles glanced at her sharply. What was that about? Normally she was full of gently sarcastic comments and glee that she'd managed to beat him to a pulp. "I'm fine. No worse than usual at any rate."

She nodded. "OK. I guess I'll work out on the step before I go."

Giles paused in the act of placing a sword in the weapons bag. Without looking at her he said, "It's getting late. Perhaps you'd like to leave that for another time. Don't you have a date to get ready for?"

Buffy took a gulp from her bottled water. "Nope. Another dateless Saturday night for the Slayer. I feel the need for some serious aerobicizing. The vamps haven't put much of a strain on me lately." Her voice was light.

"I see. Very well. Be sure to lock the room before you leave." He finished stowing the weapons, shouldered the bag and turned to face her. "Are you patrolling tonight, then?"

"Yeah. Maybe there'll be some action. It's kind of weird when things quiet down like this." She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, well, be careful." He smiled at her.

"Always." She sipped more water. "So, what are you up to tonight?"

"hmm? Research." He rubbed his chin. "While I like the fact that there's been little activity of late, I'm also concerned that it might be the lull before the storm. I have some books to go through, just in case."

She nodded. "Great. Sounds like a plan. Need any help? I could drop by after I patrol."

He hesitated. "I'm not sure what it is I'm looking for so I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to direct you. But you know you're always welcome. And perhaps you should check in after your patrol. It might be helpful to know if there was or wasn't any activity."

"Cool. I'll see you later." She grinned. "Unless you'd like to stay and enjoy the music?"

He faked a shudder. "I'd rather face an apocalypse demon." He smiled to himself as her laughter followed him out the door.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

Later that night Giles was deep into his research when his doorbell rang. He carried his book with him, still reading absentmindedly as he walked to the door. Buffy stood on his doorstep carrying her backpack and dressed in her usual slaying outfit of sweatpants and a tank top.

"Buffy. Come in. How was patrolling?" He stood aside so she could enter.

"Still quiet. It's beginning to wig me out. I mean, I haven't seen anything in the last few nights except that one new vamp you warned me about. And for a week or so before that it was maybe one or two vamps a night at the most." She dropped her bag in a corner of the living room. She gave him a perplexed look. "Could they all be on vacation? You know, like a vampire version of Spring Break?"

He smiled at that. "I suppose we can't rule it out."

"You didn't find anything, huh?" She looked curiously at the book in his hand.

"Not yet. Of course, it would be a lot easier if I had some idea of just what it was I was looking for." He raked his hand through his hair. "The longer this goes on the less I like it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I never thought I'd complain because there weren't enough vampires to slay." She flopped down on the couch. "Anything I can do to help?"

Giles shook his head. "If you really want to spend time reading through some of these, you're welcome to do so." He gestured to the stacks of books on the floor near the couch. "But I will understand if you decide to pass."

Buffy looked from the books to Giles to her backpack in the corner. "Well, if you really don't know what you're looking for it might be better for you to do the looking. Did that actually make sense?" She smiled at him. "Anyway, I was thinking that maybe I could just stay here and work on another paper I have due next week. I brought my stuff with me just in case."

He raised his eyebrows. "You brought your homework with you while you were out patrolling?"

She shrugged. "It's been so quiet I took a chance that I wouldn't need a lot of extra stakes this time. I thought after what you said this afternoon that it might be OK. Mom won't be home till tomorrow afternoon and Willow's out with Oz tonight. I just didn't want to be home by myself. I figured if you really didn't have anything for me to do I'd just work on my paper here." She looked at him hopefully. "If I won't be in your way that is?"

"Of course not. I'd enjoy the company." He wondered if her nightmares had anything to do with not wanting to be alone in her house.

"Cool. I'll just work here on this corner of the coffee table." She retrieved her backpack, sat down on the floor with her back to the couch and spread out her papers.

After several hours of work Buffy pushed her papers back and stretched with a groan. Giles glanced up from his book. He still hadn't found anything. The frustrating thing was that he felt there was something familiar about this lull in activity. Something that he should recognize. The fact that he couldn't identify what it was was beginning to drive him slightly crazy. One thing was certain, whatever was going on it wasn't to be found in the volume currently in his hands. He closed the book with a snap.

Buffy's head flew up and she looked at him with a small smile. "Find something?"

"No." He shook his head regretfully. "And I don't believe I'm likely to find anything tonight. It's getting late. Would you like me to drive you home?"

She fiddled with her pen and sighed. "Sure. That would be great. I've pretty much done as much damage to this as I feel like doing tonight anyway." Her voice didn't hold much conviction.

Giles wondered again if she was concerned about having more nightmares. He would help her through them of course, but he felt she needed to know that she could face them on her own as well. He wouldn't do her any good if he allowed her to turn from her fears every time something like this occurred. She needed to know she could face them and get through them. It was a delicate balance and one he wasn't sure he was handling properly. When she didn't say anything about wanting to stay he began to wonder if he'd misinterpreted her actions. He gathered up his coat and keys while she packed away her books.

They pulled up in front of the Summers' residence and Buffy turned to face him. "Thanks for the ride. And the company." She sounded reluctant to leave the car.

"You're welcome." He smiled.

"So, are we training tomorrow, er, later today I mean?"

He shook his head. "It's Sunday. I couldn't get the room reserved and I thought you might like one of your weekend days completely free. I've scheduled the room for Monday at 4pm. All right?"

"Sure. You know, we're eventually going to have to find someplace to train that we have access to whenever we need it." She tilted her head as she gazed at him. "I guess I'll see you on Monday then." She sounded as though she wanted to say something more or was waiting for him to say something. After a moment she picked up her backpack and got out of the car.

Giles watched her until she was safely inside. He drove back to his apartment and sighed at the quiet inside. It had been rather nice having her there while he researched. He shook his head and climbed the stairs to go to bed. He'd continue to search for an answer to the question of where all the vampires had gone tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't know Willow. I don't think Giles found anything yesterday or he would've called." Buffy's voice was low and concerned.

"I guess so. But maybe he found something and it's not a bad thing." Willow sounded unconvinced, even to herself.

"Uh-huh. And you buy that as much as I do. Look, I've gotta go to class. Meet you at the quad later, same time as usual?"

"Sure. See you later." Willow hung up the phone and stared at it thoughtfully. Why did Buffy sound so down? Sure, the Hellmouth had been uncharacteristically quiet, but they hadn't found anything that indicated that meant something nasty was going to happen. And she knew that Buffy was doing well in her classes, so she couldn't be concerned about that. Willow shrugged. She was sure she would get the answer when they met later before going to talk to Giles. Willow grabbed her books and headed out of her dorm room to her class.

When Willow met Buffy that afternoon she noted the dark circles under her friend's eyes with concern.

"Buffy, you look like hell," Willow blurted out and then was immediately contrite. "I'm sorry. But you look like you haven't slept in days."

Buffy smiled sadly. "Close. I've been having more nightmares. Not fun."

"What did Giles say?" Willow asked in concern.

Buffy looked away. "I haven't told him."

Willow tilted her head in confusion. "Why not? He'd want to know."

Her friend sighed. "He kind of made it clear that I need to deal with them on my own. Since they're not prophetic."

"That doesn't sound like him at all," Willow protested. She frowned at the pensive look on Buffy's face. "Are you sure you understood what he was saying? I mean, of course you understood, but, well, sometimes when he doesn't know exactly what's going on he can seem, well..." She trailed off in confusion.

"It's OK, Will," Buffy said gently. "It isn't that he actually said anything. It's just how he didn't say anything, if you get my drift? And he's right. I do need to deal. And I am. Sort of. I'm sure it'll get better." She didn't sound as if she believed her own words.

"I still think you should tell him. Hasn't he noticed anything?"

"I, well, I haven't seen him since Saturday." She looked away.

"We're going to see him now, right? So, you can tell him about the nightmares." Willow tried to sound practical. "And he'll know what to do."

They were silent as they made their way up to Giles' office. They managed to arrive at the tail end of his office hours. Willow watched in amusement as a harassed looking Giles turned away the remaining cluster of students that were waiting to see him. She noted with interest that they were mostly women and they all seemed disappointed when he told them firmly that they would have to wait until his next office hours on Thursday. A few lingering students protested when Giles ushered Willow and Buffy into his office, but he glared them into submission. Willow almost laughed at the outraged expression on Buffy's face.

Giles ran his hand through his hair in his agitation. "I didn't think my course was that bloody difficult. I'm going to have to revisit the way I structure it. Every student in both sections seems to feel a need to discuss his or her lack of understanding. None of my colleagues seem to have such a barrage of confusion." He looked genuinely perplexed.

Willow did laugh at that. Giles and Buffy looked at her questioningly. "I don't think they're actually having that much trouble understanding your class," she said gently. "I believe you're experiencing the _Raiders_ phenomenon."

"Pardon?"

"You know. The scene near the beginning of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ where Harrison Ford is teaching?"

Buffy made a strange strangled sound. Giles looked confused.

"Giles," Willow added, "Most of those women just want to spend time in your office alone with you. You could be talking about pudding for all they probably care."

Giles actually looked stunned. "But--"

"Face it, Watcher. When you stopped pretending to be Mr. Tweedy-Librarian you opened yourself up to this." Buffy grinned as she took in his jeans and shirt.

"I was just trying to blend in with the University surroundings," he said hesitantly.

"Hey. We're not complaining. And you've gotta be more comfortable in that than you were in all those layers of tweed." Buffy smiled. "But now you have to face the consequences."

"Yes, well, yes..." his words trailed off in confusion. Giles visibly reoriented himself and turned to the issues at hand. "I haven't come across anything dire yet. It may be that we're truly experiencing an early lull in demonic activity. We've seen such a thing happen for the last three summers, after all."

Buffy frowned and shook her head slowly. "Maybe. But I still have a problem with it. Something just doesn't feel right, you know? My spidey sense is tingling. It's like I've got this itch in the middle of my shoulder blades and I keep wondering what's going to crawl out from under a rock to scratch it." She sat down in the chair across from his desk.

Willow perched on the edge of the desk in front of her friend. "Maybe Buffy's nightmares can help us figure out what's going on." She watched in satisfaction as Giles raised his head sharply and regarded Buffy with a frown.

"You're still having nightmares?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you come to me?"

Buffy shrugged and looked away. Giles' question told Willow all she needed to know about their misunderstanding. She wasn't about to let them off the hook about this, though.

"Buffy thought you wanted her to deal with them on her own," she said as innocently as she could manage. She resolutely refused to acknowledge the glare her friend sent her way.

Giles came around the desk and crouched down by Buffy's chair. "I would never want you to feel that you couldn't come to me if you needed me. It's true I didn't want you to anticipate the nightmares and let them force you out of your home, but I didn't think you would decide that meant that you couldn't come to me if they continued. Don't ever think that I would turn you away."

Buffy looked down at her hands in her lap. "I just thought that since they weren't prophetic--"

"Buffy, do you really think me so cold that I would only care about something that disturbed you because it was part of a prophecy?" His voice was gently reproving.

"No." She sighed and looked at him. "I guess I just misunderstood."

He nodded. "Understandable, since I've always maintained I only understand every other sentence you lot utter. Now, tell me about those nightmares. Still the Mayor?" He pulled over his chair from behind the desk and sat down next to her.

Willow smiled. Better. They were definitely getting better at breaking through the barriers they sometimes put up between each other, even if they did sometimes need a little push.

Buffy twisted her hands in her lap. "No. I haven't had another dream about the Mayor since that first night."

Giles frowned. "But you're still having nightmares?"

She sighed dispiritedly. "Oh yeah. Vivid, 3D-sensoround type stuff. It seems like every demon I've faced in the last few years has decided to take up residence in my nightmares."

Giles leaned forward in his chair, rested his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together. "You've recognized all the demons in your nightmares? No new foe that you haven't seen?"

"Nope. They've all been there. The Master, Luke, the Anointed, Moloch, the Judge, Kralick, Balthazar, all of them. Just one long parade of defeated demons."

Willow frowned. "If they're demons you've defeated, then what are the nightmares about? Is it just the horror of reliving the fights?"

Buffy looked away, face set.

"What is it?" Giles asked.

She looked at him and sighed. "The dreams are all different. And yet, they're all the same. I relive each fight with a twist. Oh, I still win." She said bitterly. "But you're there, whether you were originally there or not. And each time whoever I'm fighting manages to kill you and I'm unable to prevent it." Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. "I keep getting you killed, over and over again."

Willow inhaled sharply. She'd had no idea her friend was going through this kind of torture. Why would she dream about Giles dying in ways that obviously could never happen?

Giles took one of Buffy's hands in both of his. "And yet, here I am. None of those things happened. I won't pretend that we don't face danger, all of us, on a continual basis. But I thought we'd gotten past the point where you worried about not being able to protect any of us."

Buffy blinked several times to clear her eyes. "So did I."

Willow's eyes widened as she thought about the nightmares. "Wait a minute."

"What?" Buffy asked. "Do you have something?"

"Maybe. You said that it's always Giles that gets killed, right? Not any of the rest of us?"

Buffy nodded.

"And they're not prophetic, since they're always a version of what's already happened. But could they be, um, like a warning? You know, like maybe there's danger to Giles and we need to find it?" She looked at Giles excitedly.

Buffy sat up straight. "Will, that feels right to me somehow. Could that be it?" she asked eagerly.

Giles rubbed his chin and frowned. "I've never come across any reference to a Slayer's dreams as warnings instead of prophecy, but I wouldn't rule it out. It certainly gives me another approach to my research."

Buffy nodded. "In the meantime I think we need to be extra careful. If Will's right then you're in real danger from something. If she's not, well, making sure you're OK isn't what I'd call a waste of time."

Willow grinned. Buffy sounded more like her normal take charge self. They'd all make sure that Giles was safe. Giles had become more to all of them than just Buffy's Watcher. Over the last few years he had been a surrogate father, a mentor, and a counselor. But most of all, especially since graduation, he'd become a friend. Willow felt her stomach twist at the thought of losing him. The important thing now was to figure out where the danger to him was coming from and how to combat it.


	9. Chapter 9

Brian Callahan strode purposely across campus toward the quad. His meeting with the department chairman had run longer than he'd expected and now he had to hurry if he was going to be on time to meet Buffy for lunch. He cut through the Math building as a shortcut instead of walking around it. As he exited he glanced across the quad and saw Buffy in front of the Anthropology building. Brian knew he was grinning foolishly, but he didn't really care. The sight of her seemed to do that to him. He raised his hand half way to wave and was about to call out to her when he stopped and watched curiously.

She was talking to a tall man in jeans and a black leather jacket. He was turned so that Brian could only see his back and a partial profile. They were standing close to each other, Buffy with her head raised and the guy with his head bent slightly as if to better hear what she was saying. The expression on her face was serious and she looked as if she were lecturing him about something.

Brian's grin changed to a frown when Buffy reached out her hand and placed it on the guy's chest. His hands clenched into fists and his eyes narrowed when the man reciprocated with a gentle hand on her cheek. What was going on here, he wondered? He relaxed slightly as the man let his hand fall and Buffy put her hands on her hips. Her expression had changed to one of exasperation. She turned and watched, shaking her head, as he walked into the Anthro building.

Brian schooled his face to a neutral expression and walked across the quad. "Buffy?" he asked.

She whirled to face him. "Brian! Um, hi!" She smiled at him.

"Hi, yourself." He couldn't help but smile back. "Ready for lunch?"

"Yep."

He took her to a trendy little café in the business district. Men and women in suits came and went as the two of them relaxed and enjoyed their more leisurely lunch. The café was popular with the business crowd because it was fast and efficient, but still managed to provide a well-prepared meal. They talked of inconsequential things and enjoyed their time together.

Brian had been watching her during lunch and finally asked, "Is there something wrong? You seem a bit distracted."

She looked startled by his question. "No, of course not." She smiled slightly. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just worried about a friend of mine."

"Oh? Anything I can do to help?" he asked casually.

"Thanks, but I don't think so. It's just that there's a little trouble and he's not taking the kind of care that he should." She laughed slightly. "He's a bit stubborn."

Brian wondered if this friend was the man that she had been talking to earlier. He couldn't think of a way to bring it up without admitting that he'd been standing there watching her. And maybe it was all innocent and he was just being a jealous idiot.

"Well, if there's anything I can do," he said, "all you have to do is ask."

She smiled brightly. "Thank you. That's very sweet."

Lunch over, they lingered over their coffee. Buffy didn't have any classes that afternoon and Brian had late office hours. Eventually the café workers began making noises that indicated they wanted to clean the restaurant to get ready for the dinner crowd.

Brian gave the waiter his credit card. "I was wondering if you'd care to have dinner with me on Friday?" he asked.

"I wish I could. I'm going on vacation with my Dad for Spring Break. He lives in LA and I don't see him very often. I haven't actually seen him in over a year." Her voice was quiet, almost pensive.

Brian nodded. "I understand. How about Thursday night, then? I'd like to see you before you go out of town for the break."

Buffy nodded with a smile. "Sounds great."

"Terrific. We'll go somewhere special. I'd like you to remember me while you're away." He smiled at her, enchanted when she blushed lightly.

They returned to the campus and walked together across the quad. Buffy stopped when they reached the Anthro building.

"Thanks for lunch Brian," she said. "This is where I stop. I'll see you on Thursday?"

"You're welcome. I'll pick you up about 7:30 Thursday night." He smiled and leaned down to press a light kiss on her lips. He swallowed and touched the tip of her nose with his fingertip before he turned and walked away. He couldn't help wondering if she was going to meet the guy in the leather jacket.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm telling you Giles, I should cancel my trip." Buffy paced the narrow confines of his office, gesturing emphatically with her hands. "I don't like leaving you alone right now. Especially since you haven't been able to find out what it is we're up against."

Giles sat back in his chair and watched her stalk around the room. He leaned his chin on his hand and waited for her to calm down. Eventually she sighed and came around his desk to perch on it facing him.

"I appreciate your concern. However, I can't let you do that. You haven't seen your father in over a year and a half. I'm sure I can handle being on my own for a week." He held up a hand to prevent her from saying anything. "Besides which, Willow, Xander, and Oz will all be here and I'm sure they'll be diligent in protecting me should the need arise."

She shook her head. "But they're not me. I know they can do a lot, but I'm afraid that it could be something they can't handle alone."

"Buffy, we don't even know if there is a threat. This is all just speculation at the moment." He sat up and said firmly, "I don't want to hear any more talk of you canceling your plans."

Buffy crossed her arms and stared at him. "It's nice that you're concerned about me seeing my Dad, but--"

"No." The single word was enough to stop her from saying anything further, though she did give him a mutinous look.

"Hey guys! What's the what?" Xander breezed through the door followed by Willow and Oz.

"No news. And Giles won't let me cancel my trip." Buffy said without turning around.

"Maybe he's right," said Oz. "We don't know for sure that there's a threat. And even if there is, you know we wouldn't let anything happen to him."

She sighed and slid off the desk. "Yeah. I know. It's just that I'll worry the entire time I'm gone."

Xander put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed once. "Hey, not to worry. We can handle it." He turned to Giles. "So, more research tonight? Or team slaying?"

Buffy looked slightly guilty. "I've got a date tonight. I can catch up with you guys later. Or I could cancel."

Giles shook his head. "We still have tomorrow night. You don't leave until Saturday morning, correct?"

Buffy nodded.

"A date? With Brian?" Willow asked.

"Yeah. Dinner. I think he's taking me someplace fancy." Buffy said.

Giles noted the lack of enthusiasm in her voice and wondered if he was imagining things. When Xander spoke up Giles knew that he wasn't the only one who had heard it.

"What gives Buff? You don't sound very enthused for someone with an actual date." Xander leaned against the wall off to one side of the desk.

Buffy shook her head. "Oh, I'm looking forward to going out. It's just that there's so much going on."

"This is magic number three, right?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded. "Third date. I don't know how magic it'll be." She turned to Giles. "I can patrol after dinner and then check in with you. How's that sound?"

Giles nodded. He knew Buffy would need to patrol to work off some of the frustration she was feeling. He only hoped there would be at least one vampire for her to slay. "Very well. The rest of you lot can help me. Part of the problem I'm having is that I can't put my hands on the volumes I'm looking for. It's past time I organized the books and got them out of those boxes. We won't finish tonight, but if you're willing to help we should just about be done by the end of the break." He smiled to himself at Xander's heartfelt groan.

"Oh, sure. That was just how I was hoping to spend my break. I think I'd rather fight demons." Xander looked disgusted but held up his hands. "OK. OK. I'll do it. No need to twist my arm."

Buffy looked pleased. "Good. That means you'll all be working together and staying out of trouble while I'm gone."

"Yeah, that's right, rub it in. We'll be here, slaves to Super Librarian, while you're on a beach somewhere sipping margaritas." Xander slumped forward and put his head in his hands. "I'll do it on one condition. In between the thrill of organizing all the demon books, somebody helps me with the term paper I've got that's due after the break."

Willow smiled. "I'll help you with your paper, Xander."

Giles said, "Very well then, that's settled." He was glad that Buffy felt easier about leaving him. He'd been concerned about her relationship with her father for a long time. Ever since the disaster during her eighteenth birthday, in fact. His mind shied away from the painful events of that time. He knew she hadn't seen her father since then. The man hadn't even made an effort to come to her graduation, though in retrospect it had been a blessing in disguise. However, Giles knew it had hurt Buffy.


	11. Chapter 11

Spin. Kick. Punch. Buffy landed a kick to the midsection of the first vampire, shoving him back and to the ground. She turned and rained rapid punches on the vampire behind her, pushing him until he bent backward over a headstone.

"Not nice trying to sneak up on me," she said happily. "Fortunately for me you're an incompetent sneak."

Deftly she palmed a stake and plunged it into his heart. As he crumbled to dust she turned back to the first vamp. He was off the ground and rushing at her. They exchanged punches and kicks and she tossed him over her shoulder to land on the ground. Unfortunately he pulled her along with him and then flipped her so that now he had her pinned down. He opened his mouth and brought his fangs close to her neck, ready to feed.

"Eeww! Vampire breath!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You should floss more. Oops, too late." She held her breath as the dust settled.

She jumped up and looked around, disappointed not to find more vamps to slay. She brushed herself off and made one last circuit of the cemetery. Satisfied that she would have no further fights that night she headed for Giles' apartment.

Willow answered Buffy's knock on the door. She juggled a large book in her arms, carefully holding its crumbling binding. Buffy dropped her bag in a corner of the entryway and followed her friend into the living room. She stopped and stared in amazement, hands on her hips.

"Wow. Looks like a tornado came through here. I knew Giles had a lot of books, but I didn't realize just how many." There were books stacked on just about every available inch of floor space. Some of the stacks looked precarious, as if any wrong movement would cause them to tumble.

Giles came out from the kitchen carrying a large clipboard and a pen and muttering something under his breath. His hair was sticking up in spikes from having run his hands through it multiple times. He hadn't seemed to notice that Buffy was standing in the living room regarding him with raised eyebrows.

"Xander, where did you put the _Annotated Compendium of Demon Lore_? It's checked off on my list but I don't see it." Giles looked over the nearest stack of books with a frown.

"It's right here, Giles. See, it's on the stack of generic demon books, just like it's supposed to be." Xander sounded slightly harassed. "You know, if we don't stop and put together some of those bookcases you bought we're just going to have to go through these stacks all over again. `Cause everything is gonna get all mixed up."

Giles sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I had hoped to put some order to this first, but there's not enough room for that." He looked around and noticed Buffy for the first time. He smiled. "Buffy. How did patrolling go?"

"Never mind that, how did your date go?" Willow asked mischievously.

Buffy ignored Willow. "Dusted two vamps. Granted, that may not be a lot, but it's more activity than I've seen in a week. Maybe things are getting back to normal." She nearly bounced on her toes in her enthusiasm.

Giles nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

Willow handed the large book she was carrying to Oz and grabbed her friend's hand. "The date." She pulled Buffy over to the couch.

Buffy chuckled. "OK, OK. He took me to Le Papillon for dinner."

"Wow, that's an even nicer place than he took you to the last time. I wonder if that's where he normally goes for dinner or if it's because you're still in the early stages of dateville. You know the `I still think I need to impress her stage'?"

Buffy smiled. "A little bit of both I think. He worked for some high tech startup and evidently made enough on stock options that he could quit and do whatever he wanted." Buffy shrugged. It didn't matter to her. The restaurants were nice, but she wasn't impressed about being taken out to nice places if that was what he was aiming for. "I don't know. To be honest I didn't really pay much attention to that."

Willow smiled. "So, what do you think of him now?"

She sighed. "He's nice. He's funny. I enjoy talking to him."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What about sparkage? You know, the I-can't-keep-my-hands-to-myself stuff."

Buffy blushed lightly. "I don't know. I mean, he's good looking, no doubt about it. And I do like him." She looked down at her hands as she fidgeted with them. "He certainly does know how to kiss. I guess I'm just kinda confused." She gave her friend a wry smile.

Willow cocked her head and frowned. "Maybe you just need some time. It's probably a good thing that you're going away for break."

"Mm-hmm." Buffy noticed Giles standing at the doorway to kitchen. He wasn't looking at them, but he couldn't have helped overhearing their conversation. She suddenly felt uncomfortable talking about Brian and she wasn't sure why. She and Willow had always dished about her dates, especially last semester when she'd dated so many guys that they'd come up with the three-date rule. Very few guys made it to three dates with her. Making it to three dates became a kind of litmus test as to how she felt about them. And she'd never thought twice about talking about the details of her dates in front of Giles or the others. Not until now.

"Are you going to see him when you get back?" Willow wouldn't let it rest.

Buffy hesitated. "He asked me to call him when I get home. He wants to take me to dinner again."

Willow gave her friend a thoughtful glance. "Well, I'm sure you'll sort it all out."

"Yeah, I guess so." Buffy got off the couch and carefully made her way through the piles of books to where Giles stood. "What can I do to help?"

Giles looked down at her. "How are you with a hammer and screwdriver?" He smiled and gestured to the pieces of wood on the floor next to Xander. "I hope the woman in the furniture store wasn't exaggerating about how easy it is to put these things together."

"Hey, come on, G-man," Xander bantered without looking up from his task. "If I can field strip an M-16 I can pound a few nails. These instructions are really easy. We'll have your bookcases up in no time."

Buffy looked around the small living room. With bookcases lining every wall there just might be enough shelves for all of the books. But the room was going to feel awfully cramped. She knelt down beside Xander and spent the next few hours following his instructions in putting the bookcases together. Between the two of them they managed to assemble them all.

They cleared a path so they could carry the bookcases through the living room and set them up against the walls. They put enough books on the shelves so that the room didn't feel as if no matter where you turned you were likely to knock over a stack.

Xander stretched. "Man, my back is never going to let me forget this."

"You're too young to be complaining," Willow teased. "But I am kind of tired. It's pretty late and some of us do have classes tomorrow. Maybe we could stop now and pick this up tomorrow after patrolling?"

"Sounds good," said Xander. "Hey Oz, can you give me a ride?"

He nodded. "I'm dropping Willow off at her dorm. Buffy, want a ride?"

Buffy shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll walk. It'll give me a chance to stretch a little."

"OK."

"See you tomorrow on the quad?" Willow asked.

"Yeah."

The trio got their jackets and called their good-byes as they left. Buffy closed the door behind them and turned to find Giles regarding her thoughtfully. Never can hide anything from him, she thought and smiled.

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked softly.

Buffy sighed and sat down on the couch. "Yeah. I wanted to try one more time to convince you that I should cancel my trip."

Giles shook his head. "I thought we'd settled this. There's no reason for you to cancel. I haven't found anything, and your dreams notwithstanding I don't believe there's anything to be concerned about."

Hands on her hips, she frowned. "No. We didn't settle it; I just stopped arguing about it. I really, really feel I should stay home. That itch between my shoulder blades? It's getting worse."

Giles sat on the couch and sighed. "No. You are going to take this trip with your father and you're going to have a good time. We'll all be fine here."

Buffy moved to stand in front of him. "But Giles--"

"Buffy," he cut in, "I don't want to have this conversation. We've already done this and as far as I'm concerned the subject is closed." He closed his eyes wearily, only to open them again when he felt her sit down on the couch next to him.

She looked at him seriously. "Just promise me you'll be extra careful while I'm gone?" she asked anxiously. "I couldn't stand it if something happened to you."

He smiled. "Of course. Now, why don't I drive you to your dorm? I'd rather know you were home safely."

She nodded. She wasn't happy with the way the conversation ended, but she wasn't surprised either. It obviously wasn't going to do any good arguing about it.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

Buffy arrived at the quad the next day earlier than her usual time. She'd cut her last class because she was afraid she'd fall asleep. The nightmares had plagued her even more strongly last night. She felt as if she'd had less than an hour of sleep. Normally she could deal with that, but she'd only managed a couple hours a night at most for the last week. The lack of sleep was catching up with her and she couldn't shake the anxious feeling that Giles would be in danger if she left.

She sat on the stone bench outside the Anthro building to wait. Willow wouldn't be there for another hour. It was nice to just sit in the shade and watch the other students hurrying by. She noticed a familiar figure approaching and stood up.

"Hey Giles. I thought you had a class?" She smiled up at her Watcher.

"I let it out early for the Break. The students didn't seem to have their minds on what I was saying, so I thought I might as well let them go." He smiled. "That let me out early, too."

Buffy grinned. "Playing hooky, huh? Cool." She looked approvingly at his black jeans and leather jacket. He really had gotten into the swing of dressing casually.

"Speaking of classes?" He raised his eyebrows.

She looked away and said, "OK. I cut my last class. I just didn't want to fall asleep and embarrass myself, you know?" She felt his gaze on her and looked up at him. His expression was serious.

"You're still having the nightmares?" he asked quietly. He steered her back to the bench and sat down next to her.

Buffy looked down at her hands. "Yes," she said flatly and closed her eyes.

"Bad?"

Closing her eyes didn't help. It just made it easier to see the images that haunted her. She turned to look at him, her eyes clouded with pain. "The worst."

"What was it?" he asked softly.

She hesitated, not sure if she was ready to tell him. And then somehow she knew she had to or it would fester inside her. She sighed. "Angel. Or Angelus, actually."

He tensed but didn't look away from her gaze.

"I was fighting him in front of Acathla. You were there and I knew that Xander hadn't freed you because you were in chains. You were bloody, but you were alive." She looked away briefly. Her expression was grim when she turned back to him. "Angelus was taunting me with the things he'd done to you. I guess he was trying to get me to make a mistake and give him an opening. When he realized that wasn't going to happen he made a grab for you just as I was about to run him through. I couldn't stop the sword in time. I killed Angelus, but he had you in front of him. I killed you, too." Her voice broke and a silent sob shook her.

Giles put his arms around her and held her close. "It didn't happen. You have to remember that. I'm here." He rested his chin gently on the top of her head.

Her shaking subsided, but she continued to clutch his jacket. "I know it was just a nightmare. I know that. But you don't know how real it seemed. In some ways it felt more real than my memory of what actually happened." She was silent for a few moments. "It was weird, but in my nightmare the spell didn't work. Angel never did get his soul back."

He gently took her by the shoulders and held her away from him. Her cheeks were covered with her tears. He took out a handkerchief and handed it to her silently.

She dabbed at her face with shaky hands and smiled tremulously at him. "Guess I'm turning into a basket case, huh?"

"Buffy, you shouldn't--"

"Buffy?"

They both looked up at Brian Callahan standing in front of them, looking at her in concern. Buffy dabbed one more time at her cheeks.

"Brian. Hi." She tried to smile at him and hoped that he wouldn't ask if something was wrong. Though when she thought about it he'd have to be blind not to notice that she was crying. She turned to Giles with a start. "Um, Brian, this is Giles, I mean, this is Rupert Giles. R-Rupert, this is Brian Callahan. Brian's in the Computer Science department." Oh yeah, that was smooth.

Giles stood, extended his hand and said coolly, "Yes, I believe Donald has mentioned you."

"You know Dr. Johnson?" Brian asked, surprised.

"He's a casual acquaintance." Giles turned to Buffy and held out his hand to help her up from the bench.

She looked at it in confusion for a moment and then took it. She had the strangest feeling that he was reluctant to let go after she was standing. But he finally dropped her hand.

"Are you an instructor here?" Brian asked.

"Yes. I'm in the Anthropology department."

Buffy frowned slightly and looked from one man to the other. There was an odd undercurrent between them and she couldn't put her finger on what it was. As she looked at them she noticed idly that Giles was the taller of the two. And for some strange reason he looked imposing. It was rare that she noticed that and she wasn't sure why she saw it now. She shook her head.

"Ah. Anthropology. Fascinating subject."

Giles raised an eyebrow. "It can be. You have an interest in anthropology?"

Brian shrugged. "I took a few courses in college. Nothing beyond lower division. I'm afraid that after I found computers I wasn't much into anything else."

"Yes. Well, I'm afraid computers and I don't get along very well." Giles smiled briefly. At least Buffy assumed that his grimace was meant to be a smile. He turned to Buffy. "We ought to be going in."

She looked at him blankly for a moment and then turned to Brian. "It was good to--"

"Buffy, can we talk for a moment?" Brian looked at her hopefully.

She glanced at Giles and then nodded. Giles walked over to the building and stood by the door watching them, arms folded over his chest. She looked at Brian.

Brian glanced at Giles briefly and then moved closer to Buffy. He put his hand on her arm and lowered his voice. "Buffy, is everything all right? I couldn't help notice that you were crying when I came over." He ducked down to peer into her face.

She sighed and looked at him with a small smile. "Yeah. Everything's all right. I was telling R-rupert about a tragedy that involved a mutual friend. I guess I just let my emotions get away from me." Well that wasn't exactly a lie, she thought.

"Hmm. I'm sorry to hear there's been something to upset you." He shot another glance at Giles' forbidding figure. "Have you known him a long time?"

She hesitated and then nodded.

"An old family friend?" he asked again.

Her gaze followed his to her Watcher. Absently she said, "No. He and I have been friends for a few years. I don't think he and my mom have ever really been comfortable with each other." She wasn't sure what had prompted her to answer honestly. She glanced back at Brian and was surprised to find him frowning. "Look, I really do have to go. I'm sorry."

"And you're still going out of town?" he asked.

"Yep. Dad's taking me to some resort in Mexico." She tried to make her voice light.

He looked at her seriously. "Well, have a good time. But don't forget to let me know when you're back. I'll miss you."

She smiled up at him uncertainly and gave a little nod. He surprised her by kissing her gently.

She watched him for a few moments when he left and then turned to walk over to Giles. She looked at her Watcher and waited for him to say something. He just stood there and gazed at her, eyes shadowed. Finally deciding she didn't understand anything that had just happened she sighed and took his arm, turning him to the entrance. She felt him relax and was surprised to feel relief.

She waited until they were alone in the elevator before she spoke. "OK, give. What was that all about?"

"What?" He didn't look at her.

"That whole Mr. Freeze act with Brian? What's the deal?" She looked up at him expectantly.

He looked down at her ruefully. "I don't know. I guess he just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm sorry."

She shook her head at him. "I'm not looking for an apology. I just wanted to know what was going on. If you say he rubbed you the wrong way, that's good enough for me." Of course, that didn't make it any less weird.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

"Giles, maybe you should wait at home tonight," Buffy said earnestly.

Xander raised his hand half-way and said from where he sat on the edge of the desk, "Uh, Buff, he's gonna have to go out with us while you're away. Don't you think it would be better if he was there tonight?"

"Xander's right," Willow said. She was sitting in the single guest chair in Giles' office. Oz was perched next to her on the arm of the chair. "And it's probably safer for him to be with us, since then you'll know where he is."

Giles sat back in his chair and let them argue his points for him. Willow, Oz, and Xander had joined them in his office. He watched Buffy pace the small room and thought back to the near confrontation with Brian Callahan earlier. He'd been honest with Buffy when he said something about Callahan rubbed him the wrong way. He'd merely left out that what rubbed him wrong was Callahan's almost propriety stance towards Buffy. He didn't think she'd sensed it, but he had. And he hadn't liked it one bit. He realized that Willow had just asked him a question.

"I'm sorry. What?"

Willow raised her eyebrows. "I asked if we should meet here or at your place before we patrol."

"Oh. My apartment I think. The Anthropology building will be locked and I'd rather not go to the trouble of unlocking it."

"I'll have to miss it," Oz said. "The Dingoes have a gig tonight at the Bronze."

Giles nodded and stood up. "All right, then. I think that's all. We'll meet at my apartment at eleven."

 

**Continued in _Heart and Souls_, part 2 of _The Emerald Tablet_**


End file.
